New Priaxor™ fungicide and Merivon® fungicide now registered for use

Innovative additions to the BASF fungicide portfolio provide growers with breakthrough options in disease control

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, May 4, 2012 -- Growers have two powerful new tools to prevent and control a broad spectrum of crop diseases. BASF has announced the full U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of Priaxor™ fungicide and Merivon® fungicide.

Priaxor is expected to provide unprecedented disease protection and post-infection disease control from some of the toughest fungal diseases in soybeans, as well as several other crops. Merivon will do the same in several pome and stone fruit crops, including apples, cherries and peaches.

“BASF is committed to developing new chemistries and innovative products to help growers be more successful,” said Paul Rea, Vice President, U.S. Crop Protection, BASF. “The discovery of our latest active ingredient, Xemium® fungicide, is a testament to our promise to provide the tools to help growers get the most out of every acre.”

Priaxor is a 2:1 premix fungicide containing F500®—the same active ingredient as Headline® fungicide—and Xemium fungicide, a new active ingredient in the carboxamide family, providing a new mode of action in row crops. Merivon is a 1:1 premix fungicide of F500—an active ingredient in Pristine® fungicide —and Xemium.

Soybean field research resultsThree years of BASF in-field research showed superior disease control and Plant Health benefits, which lead to consistent yield improvements in soybeans. From 2009 through 2011, soybeans treated with Priaxor showed nearly 17 percent less severity of Septoria brown spot compared to untreated soybean acres.

In more than 75 trials conducted by BASF in 2010 and 2011, Priaxor-treated soybeans had higher yields than untreated acres 87 percent of the time. In comparison, the current leader in the soybean market, Headline, out-yielded untreated checks 83 percent of the time.

“Priaxor takes crop disease management to the next level, providing a new standard of soybean disease control to improve yield and maximize a grower’s return on investment,” said Nick Fassler, Technical Market Manager, BASF. “Research has shown Priaxor to be the most consistent soybean fungicide available.”

Additional cropsPriaxor is also labeled for use in potatoes and tomatoes to control disease, leading to improved crop quality. Studies showed Priaxor controls some of the toughest diseases threatening these crops, effectively controlling powdery mildew and black mold in tomatoes, and early blight and black dot in potatoes.

Two 2011 trials in California and Florida showed a nearly 20 percent less incidence of early blight in tomatoes treated with Priaxor compared to untreated plants. Three 2011 trials in California, Wyoming and North Dakota found potatoes sprayed with Priaxor had a 2.9 percent severity of early blight compared to an untreated check, which showed an incidence of 22.2 percent severity.

Priaxor has also shown effective disease control in corn, controlling several yield-robbing diseases including Northern and Southern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot and common rust.

Solution for pome and stone fruit cropsMerivon fungicide, the newest fungicide for pome and stone fruit crop growers, also received registration from the U.S. EPA. Merivon is a premix composed of F500—an active ingredient in Pristine fungicide—and Xemium.

Three years of BASF in-field research showed effective control of diseases that annually affect pome and stone fruits, resulting in more marketable fruits. Specialty crops are plagued by annual diseases including scab in apples, powdery mildew and leaf spot in cherries, and blossom blight, shot hole and powdery mildew in peaches. Merivon will provide a new level of control on these devastating diseases.

“Merivon fungicide will be an important tool that’s both reliable and successful in providing the protection specialty fruit crops need from damaging, yield-robbing diseases,” said Caren Schmidt, Ph.D., Technical Service Representative, BASF. “Research has shown Merivon will be an effective way for growers to control diseases and produce more marketable fruit, leading to increased profitability.”

The new active ingredient Xemium fungicide, paired with the active ingredient in Headline fungicide, will also be available through Monsanto’s next generation Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products for soybeans and cotton.

About XemiumXemium, a next-generation fungicide in the carboxamide family, was discovered by researchers at BASF headquarters in Limburgerhof, Germany. Xemium is a result of BASF experience in research and development, specifically in the carboxamide class of chemistry.

The active ingredient Xemium protects crops with three important characteristics:

The high mobility of Xemium allows the product to systemically redistribute from the waxy layer of the leaf to areas of the leaf that are not directly sprayed, protecting the whole leaf and ensuring long-lasting and disease-stopping effects.

Xemium blocks the respiratory Complex II, also known as succinate dehdyrogrenase (SDH). Blocking of Complex II disrupts the energy supply and biosynthesis of essential fungal building blocks, preventing new infections from developing.

Xemium is active on a wide range of life stages of the fungus, and affects multiple stages in the fungal life cycle. Activity on multiple stages allows for a wider window of application and greater flexibility in product use.

“BASF has a proven track record of leading the industry with new and innovative fungicides,” Rea said. “Growers deserve the best returns for all the hard work they invest in feeding America and the world. We’re committed to continually developing the leading edge chemistries needed to succeed in this mission.”

With the introduction of Priaxor and Merivon, BASF continues to expand what a fungicide can do for growers. These new products join the robust portfolio of BASF foliar fungicides, including:

Headline fungicide – The most researched fungicide on the market with more than 6,000 on-farm trials on more than 1 million acres since 2004, Headline is a fast-acting, broad-spectrum fungicide with a high level of activity on major diseases that threaten yield and crop quality. Headline is used to protect more than 90 crops, including corn, soybeans and wheat, and controls more than 50 foliar diseases.

Headline AMP™ fungicide – The first combination fungicide developed specifically for corn growers, Headline AMP delivers maximum disease protection. On-farm research shows Headline AMP provides more corn per acre than any other fungicide on the market.

Caramba® fungicide – A highly effective fungicide containing the active ingredient metconazole, Caramba is part of the BASF wheat fungicide portfolio, providing excellent suppression of head scab with significant yield protection and reductions of DON levels in grains.

Cabrio EG® fungicide – A fast-acting, broad-spectrum fungicide with a high level of activity on major diseases that threaten crop yield and quality, Cabrio EG is registered for use on more than 70 crops to control more than 30 diseases.

Pristine fungicide – A combination of the active ingredient in Headline and Boscalid, Pristine provides unmatched disease control in a variety of specialty crops, including grapes, apples, pears, strawberries and tree nuts.

Vivando™ fungicide – Metafrenone, the new active ingredient in Vivando, provides a unique, multilevel protection against powdery mildew in grapes, while offering flexible use rates and application timing.

Endura® fungicide – Powered by the active ingredient Boscalid, Endura is a preventative fungicide with curative action, registered for use in many important crops, including potatoes and vegetables.

With sales of € 4.1 billion in 2011, BASF’s Crop Protection division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF’s Crop Protection division is to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfagro.

BASF – The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation has been headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey since 2004 and is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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Consult with your State Regulatory Agency regarding status of registration of Merivon and Priaxor in your state.